Wild-flow loss-in-weight weighing system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a continuous weighing system and more specifically to a combination of a "wild-flow" flow of material and a loss-in-weight monitoring system. An uncontrolled flow of material from a wild-flow stream is accurately weighed and discharged by the loss-in-weight system.

We claim: 
     
       1. A continous weighing means for monitoring and determining the weight flow rate of a generally continuous wild-flow stream of solid or liquid materials comprising: a generally continuous wild-flow source having an output;   a separately supported loss-in-weight weighing system having a supply means connected to the output of the wild-flow source by serial connection means, and a discharge means for controlling the discharge rate of material from the loss-in-weight supply means;   the serial connection means comprising a surge hopper for receiving material discharged from the output of the wild-flow source during each of a plurality of time periods and having a controllable discharge means at its lower end connected to the supply means of the loss-in-weight weighing system;   means for controlling the operation of the controllable discharge means;   the control means being operable to cause the controllable discharge means to discharge intermittently the entire volume of material received from the output of the wild-flow source during the preceding time period into the supply means of the loss-in-weight weighing system; and   the loss-in-weight weighing system includes means for sensing the weight of the volume of material discharged into its supply means from the surge hopper and controllably adjusting the rate of output of the loss-in-weight system responsive to said sensing means.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for adjusting the discharge rate of the loss-in-weight weighing system causes the loss-in-weight to discharge over the next time period the amount of material discharged by the wild-flow source over the preceding time period. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1 further including means for detecting when the level of material in the surge hopper exceeds a predetermined height and for causing the control means to maintain the controllable discharge means in its open position for a longer period of time during the next discharge of material into the supply means of the loss-in-weight weighing system. 
     
     
       4. A method of monitoring and weighing the unregulated flow of solid or liquid material in a system comprising a generally continuous wild-flow source of material having an output serially connected through serial connection means to a supply means of a separately supported loss-in-weight weighing system having discharge means controlling the rate of flow therefrom, said serial connection means having a surge hopper with an input for receiving material discharged from the output of the wild-flow source and controllable discharge means at its lower end connected to the supply means of the loss-in-weight weighing system, the method comprising the steps of: permitting the wild-flow source to feed material out of its output into the input of the surge hopper during each of a plurality of time periods;   opening the controllable discharge means at the end of each time period to permit the entire volume of material in the surge hopper at the end of each time period to pass into the supply means of the loss-in-weight weighing system;   closing the discharge means; and   monitoring the weight increase of the loss-in-weight weighing system to thereby determine the weight of material discharged by the wild-flow during the preceding time period and thereafter adjusting the rate of output of the loss-in-weight discharge means in response to the amount of material recieved by the loss-in-weight supply means.   
     
     
       5. The method of claim 4 wherein the duration of each time period is adjustable according to the weight increase monitored by the loss-in-weight system during each passage of material from the surge hopper into the supply means. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of: monitoring the weight increase of the loss-in-weight system over successive time periods to determine the weight of material discharged by the wild-flow source during successive preceding time periods, and   varying the output rate of the loss-in-weight weighing system in accordance with the rate of flow of the wild-flow source received in the successive time periods.